Father Of Boy Who Drowned In Court

GLOUCESTER — The father of a 3-year-old boy who drowned in the York River on July 4 told a judge he will hire his own lawyer in his defense of two felony child neglect charges.

Atadeo Flores, 49, appeared in Gloucester County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Tuesday morning. Flores did not appear to understand what was going on, and Presiding Judge Isabel AtLee allowed him to summon from the back of the courtroom an interpreter who came with him.

Through the interpreter, Flores said he would hire his own lawyer.

The morning of July 4, Flores was at Gloucester Point beach with his wife and two young children. The two boys, ages 3 and 5, were playing in the water near the pier when the younger child drowned.

Nearby beachgoers noticed the boys playing in the water and called for help when the younger child disappeared just after 7:30 a.m. Several minutes later, a person searching in the water found the body of Brian Flores in several feet of water near the pier.

After the hearing, Flores said through the interpreter that he did not want to comment because of the pending charges, except to say the ordeal of his son's death is "terrible."

Flores, who is from Jarratt, Va., is scheduled to appear in court again on Aug. 18.